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Use the tools below to refine your search by only displaying reviews with a certain number of star ratings or to only show reviews from a certain time period. Eg click on '1 star' to just display the reviews we have which received a 1 star rating click or 'Within the last month' to display just reviews posted over the last month.
Written on: 23/08/2012
my first reaction on entering the argyle street doorway was wow have i come into the wrong store the decor and the display of footwear and handbags was amazing and very suitable for all ages and finances as i continued around the store i was met with friendly and very helpful staff and fo finish off a lovely shop i got a great bargain on a top thank you i will definately be back… Read Full Review
Written on: 21/08/2012 by CumbrianJill (1 review written)
I would like to praise the excellent service I received from your Carlisle and Guildford stores on 17 August. I went into the Carlisle store hoping to find some Linea Sunshine hand towels to match the bath towels and mat I'd bought online (I used your delivery to store service which worked very well). As they didn't, the saleslady phoned other stores and found me the towels I wanted in Guildford. I was able to buy these and arrange for them to be posted to my home address. They arrived this… Read Full Review
Written on: 14/08/2012
I had a very informative makeover with Claire last Friday. I am slowly collecting my favourite skincare range and make up, which I love using. Claire is very confident and helpful and I recommend her to my friends… Read Full Review
Written on: 10/08/2012
Being in desperate need of a change of sceneryI visited Cheltenham on a beautiful day. Once inside the House of Fraser I visited the ground floor where the assistants were so helpful friendly and more than ready to assist me. Next to the womens cloths where again the assistants werecheerful and very relaxing not pushing a sale but only tooready to advise. I really felt a lot better especially having made severalpurchases… Read Full Review
Written on: 09/08/2012
I today purchased a beautiful brown coat from the above store. While i was there i was helped by a fantastic lady who was naturally gifted at her job. She advised me to try the Biba scarf with the said item and showed me how to style the scarf and at no point was she pushy or rushed me and there was no "hard sale" Inititally i only purchased the coat but having spent 2 hours shopping i returned to purchase the said scarf as it had made such an impact on the coat. Thanks again Cheryl for your… Read Full Review
Written on: 08/08/2012
Have visited Jollys of Bath several times and wish to put on record the absolutely outstanding service received from the assistances-especially the Menswear Dept.If an item was not in stock in a size required they always managed to get it from another Store or on-line and were so courteous and helpfull… Read Full Review
Written on: 30/07/2012 by Hannahbaloo (1 review written)
I was purchasing a leather handbag not a cheap item at over a hundred pounds+ the mature lady on the dept was lovely had a pleasant friendly manner and wished me good morning, which was very nice. However she was over taken by a young asian girl who asked me what I wanted, I said I will know when I see it. I found a very nice tan leather Dickins and Jones bag which I carried over to the mirror to look at the perspective of the bag on me. It was not to many mins when the youngster kept on saying… Read Full Review
Written on: 28/07/2012 by nearorfar (1 review written)
Visiting the Sisley Counter at the Birmingham Store is always a great pleasure. The girls there Karen and Kate are so lovely and helpful, the advice they have given me has really helped my skin problems and I now feel as though I wish I had been to see them years ago. Nothing has been sold to me prior to having tried it out at home first which is a real bonus as in the past I have spent a great deal of money only to find products not suitable. Kate is a great Make Up Artist and has been a… Read Full Review
Written on: 25/07/2012
I had the great pleasure of meeting Maxine at Bluewater wedding dept, she helped me to choose the correct dress for my shape - she could see me in one that I was not keen to try, because of the off the shoulder style, but after many dresses she kindly hepled me with & many sizes & checking other stores availability - I tried on the one she said would suit me best - and hey Presto! It was the best - Maxine certainly knows her job - nothing was too much trouble for her & she gave service with a… Read Full Review
Written on: 20/07/2012
I visited the store in Bluewater and was served by Fay Woodhams. She was very helpful with regards to advising us on our purchase, and had a very pleasant manner… Read Full Review
Written on: 18/07/2012
I was attended by Amanda Keveren on Saturday at your Cavendich House store. I was buying a wedding outfit and had been looking around for some time. Amanda just took over and showed me many outfits and listened to my needs and commented truthfully on her opinion of each outfit. This is rare, usually the assistant just wants to sell you something. I was delighted with my eventual purchase and in fact after lunch in the store I went back and bought the clutch bag to complete the outfit… Read Full Review
Written on: 17/07/2012 by strath4 (1 review written)
This Glasgow store is like a junk shop. I have been shopping in Frasers for many years but now find it is quite impossible to buy anything appropriate for the mature woman. On saying that the lady in Country casuals was very nice and made you feel welcome. Other than that the whole store is like a junk shop except for the cosmetic department and trying to find some of the departments is a nightmare. I won't be going basck in hurry and I won't be recommending Fraser's to my friends… Read Full Review
Written on: 18/07/2012
Written on: 16/07/2012 by PaulandCarole (1 review written)
Returned to the House of Fraser Store at Cabot Circus, Bristol, because of good experience in the shoe department the previous week,on that occassion, the sales assistant was more than helpful and took time to give advice over and above our expectations.The second experience proved to match the earlier one,especially as the price of goods proved highly competitive with stores in the vacinity! However,it was the sales staff who yet again impressed, especially a chraming and knowledgable young… Read Full Review
Written on: 12/07/2012 by JoyceScottishBorders (1 review written)
EXCELLENT FRIENDLY SPEEDY CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO WENT THAT EXTRA MILE In Edinburgh Tuesday looking for 70% discounted curved oval dishes before rushing to catch train. Jenners had them in their window but couldn't supply me with small ones and re-directed me to House of Fraser. Located department from ground staff who directed me to the right floor. On locating product range - adviser-Eleanor Morrioson-(till name receipt)looked up her computer for me the sizes that were available as I wasn't… Read Full Review
Written on: 12/07/2012 by catfink (1 review written)
MY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IN THE SHOE DEPARTMENT HOUSE OF FRASER, BOURNEMOUTH. SALES ADVISOR NATALIE THOMAS, STORE NO: 1001. EXCELLENT SERVICE, HELPFUL, PATIENT AND VERY BEAUTIFUL WITH LOVELY SMILE. GOOD VISIBLE PUBLIC RELATIONS POTENTIAL FOR HOUSE OF FRASER. … Read Full Review
Written on: 11/07/2012
No sales assistant on the Estee Lauder perfume counter at your Edinburgh store - 9 July 2012. Had to ask the doorman for assistance to find a sales assistant.Would have made a bigger purchase if there had been better service… Read Full Review
Written on: 08/07/2012
Super store I like it quality clothing for affordable prices. I love this superb store more discounts are fantastic to… Read Full Review
Written on: 03/07/2012 by RegandVal2 (1 review written)
Full marks to sales assistant Marc O`Keefe of Lakeside store. He was very knowledgable, pleasant, patient and helpful to my wife and I in choosing our final purchase… Read Full Review
Written on: 29/06/2012
I visited the baby department on 26June in Edinburgh. The young girl there helped me in my search for a baby hat. I ended up with a cuddly toy which was boxed for me. Both assistants were interested in who it was being bought for and all this makes for pleasant shopping. … Read Full Review
Written on: 23/06/2012 by paulwells15 (1 review written)
I visited the Mulberry Shop at house of fraser on 23 June 2012, victoria square today. I have a mulberry wallet which my finacee bought me recently, my wallet got water marked. I phoned the shop and was advised to call in. I called in, when I spoke to the assistant, Coleen Farrell and told her of my problem, she said that i should call in on a week day when the shop wasnt so busy, she could then rub a little gel on the wallet and seal it. But she couldnt do it on a saturday as it was so busy… Read Full Review
As rated by our community of reviewers
" DO NOT TOUCH THEM WITH A BARGEPOLE " Read More
Written by drmsul
" Very Very Poor. Avoid this company. " Read More
Written by Cwife
" Great Service " Read More
" JUST RUBBISH. " Read More
" Daylight Robbery " Read More
Written by irishmac


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Flair putting over Konnan
Earlier in the week, Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff got together for a very interesting podcast interview. The two discussed a lot of things that took place in WCW. Though they didn't always get along back then, they understand one another better now. Flair revealed that the worst thing that Bischoff asked him to do when the president of the company was for Flair to put Konnan over on television, which is sure to spark a response soon.
September 28, 2015
Vampiro and Konnan heat
During a podcast interview with Steve Austin, Vampiro revealed some details about the longstanding backstage heat that he had with Konnan over the years. While they are amicable with one another now, the two of them were heated rivals backstage in WCW. To reduce the real life friction, the two of them decided to sit down and talk for approximately five hours to hash things out.
September 2, 2015
Myzteziz turns heel
A rather interesting story line is taking place down in Mexico. During Triplemania, Myzteziz did a heel turn on Rey Mysterio and joined a stable featuring Konnan. The group proceeded to beat down the former world heavyweight champion. He then challenged Mysterio to a mask versus mask match. That should prove to be a huge draw for AAA.
August 10, 2015
Disco Inferno on Russell Wilson
A post on Twitter where Disco Inferno bashes Russell Wilson for wanting to be the highest paid player in the NFL. He doesn't feel that the Seattle Seahawks quarterback is deserving of that honor. That prompted a rather interesting response from Konnan.
July 20, 2015
Rey Mysterio at UFC
A post on Instagram where Rey Mysterio and Konnan reveal that they were at the huge UFC event in Mexico City this weekend. The two of them were there to support Cain Lelasquez, the hometown hero, but he lost to Fabrico Werdum, who is now the unified heavyweight champion.
June 14, 2015
Perro Aguayo memorial
A memorial was held in honor of Perro Aguayo this week. He passed away after an accident in the ring during a match. Konnan, who was the first person to check on Aguayo after the incident, was there in person. Rey Mysterio, however, was not. The belief is that he felt that his presence would be a distraction and might actually upset a couple of people who blame him for the death. Mysterio is currently heading overseas for wrestling show.
April 13, 2015
Walemania was the place to be this week if you were hoping to see a lot of wrestlers in the same place. Rey Mysterio made his first public appearance since the tragic Perro Aguayo incident. His buddy Konnan was there with him. The two of them were heavily advertised to be there. Three guys who were not scheduled to be there were Scott Hall, MVP and Samoa Joe, who all decided to simply pop up at the event and party with one another.
March 27, 2015
Rey Mysterio and friends
A photo on Instagram of former WWE star Rey Mysterio hanging out with Mick Foley, Disco Inferno, Rikishi and Konnan.
March 27, 2015
Konnan reviving Aguayo
By now, most people have seen the video of Perro Aguayo dying in the ring during a match involving Rey Mysterio. A select few have started blaming Konnan for repeatedly shaking Aguayo as he laid motionless on the mat. Others, however, have been defending him by stating that the former WCW star was under the impression that Aguayo was simply knocked out. To his credit, he rushed immediately to check on the fallen star.
March 24, 2015
Perro Aguayo funeral
While his actual funeral will be held later this week in Guadalajara, there have been a couple of ceremonies already held to honor the passing of Perro Aguayo. Konnan was one of the first people on the scene of the tragic incident, and he led a small tribute during the latest Lucha Underground taping in Los Angeles. Several promotions in Mexico have reportedly done a little tribute to Aguayo at their shows as well.
March 22, 2015

subset: commoncrawl


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The Business Success Cafe is…
the Perfect Coffee Break for Busy Business Owners!
Only 20 Minutes and It's FREE!
New Educational Topics Weekly with Global Experts! Don't Miss a Single One!
Even if you can't attend register anyway and we will send you the replay.
with Teresa de Grosbois
Teresa de Grosbois is an international speaker sought by entrepreneurs and large corporations wanting to better understand how local word of mouth can suddenly turn epidemic.
Specializing in the topics of influence and success, Teresa has a proven track-record in understanding word of mouth epidemics having taken three books to best-seller status in only 8 months. Teresa teaches business and marketing courses around the globe, including teaching courses to start-up entrepreneurs in developing countries.
As the Chair of the Evolutionary Business Council, Teresa leads an international, invitation-only council of speakers and influencers dedicated to teaching the principles of success. For more information, or to sign up for her free e-newsletter, please visit www.TeresadeGrosbois.com
October 8 (Free Replay Available Until Midnight on Friday October 9)
Mass Influence – the Key Habits to Becoming Highly Influential in Your Field
Are you a service provider or business owner trading your hours for dollars in business and wishing there was a better way to get ahead?
Or maybe you'd just really like to take your business to that bigger level you know you can achieve, but you're struggling to have people take you seriously because others have already "pegged" you?
Are you tired of chasing down referrals and leads and wishing there was just a better way?
Being recommended by even one highly influential person, could maximize your business profit. And what if you were one of those top influencers yourself? What could that do for you?
In just 20 minutes you will learn:
- How influencers think and the habits they follow and how that could propel your business
- The unspoken rule book top influencers play by, including the top mistakes to avoid when dealing with influential people
- Key things you need to know to get past the gatekeepers in meeting influencers
- How to build a golden rolodex of top influencers in your industry who are eager to promote you and recommend you
- How to get top influencers in your industry dying to be in relationship with you and wanting you in their rolodex
with David Perdew
As the CEO and chief architect of NAMS (the Novice to Advanced Marketing System), David Perdew has used all his skills as a journalist, consultant and entrepreneur to build one of the most successful and fastest growing business training workshops available today.
The Novice to Advanced Marketing System is a step-by-step tutorial system focusing on Team, Training and Tools to help novice to advanced business people become even more successful.
After 17 years in the newspaper business as a journalist, editor and publisher, David created and sold a successful stock photo agency to a British company with more than 150 photographers and 300,000 images.
During the past 20 years, he's managed a few of the largest telecom ecommerce mergers as a telecom merger project specialist. One of his last consulting projects was building and implementing a $30 million project management office for the largest wireless company in America.
He took a year off in 2003 to personally build a 2200 square foot log cabin in north Alabama where he and his wife and two dogs and a cat live on 95 acres of forest with four streams and 60-foot waterfall.
October 15
You've Got 3 Precious Seconds to Grab Your Reader's Attention! How Can You Do It?
The Novice to Advanced Marketing System (NAMS) Founder and CEO, David Perdew, is a master storyteller.
But…he focuses on telling a story with a clear objective. And the objective is always to persuade the reader, viewer or listener to take an action.
By using his 7-step template for telling stories with a point, David's audiences will follow him almost anywhere when he starts telling a story pulled from his daily life.
And now, in this 20-minute coffee break, you'll learn how you can hook your audience! (That's Step #1 by the way.)
Why is the "Hook", the first of the 7 story-telling steps, so important?
Studies have shown that you have only 3 seconds to grab the audience's attention. Come and learn how to extend that beyond 3 seconds and…keep them hanging on your every word through an entire story.
Of course, we can't go through all 7 steps in just 20 minutes, but you will also get a template for all 7 steps that you can use anytime to improve your reader engagement…from start to finish!
with Melanie Benson Strick
Melanie Benson Strick is an Optimizer and has a gift for guiding fast-paced, overwhelmed, driven entrepreneurs to thrive in their small business.
With over 14 years mentoring thought leaders, visionaries and creative professionals, Melanie is a revenue strategist – uncovering what derails you from productivity and progress – ultimately freeing you to live your best life.
Melanie is author of Rewired for Wealth, co-author of Entrepreneur.com's Start Up Guide to Starting an Information Marketing Business and has her success tips featured in magazines such as American Express OPEN Forum, Woman's Day and the LA Times. She's also on the Executive Team for the Women Speaker's Association.
October 22
How to Stop Being the Bottleneck…and Get 10 Times More Done!
Are you sick and tired of doing everything in your business and not having enough time to do the things you love most?
Have you ever felt stuck at a certain level of success because you couldn't possibly squeeze anything more into your already crazy-busy schedule?
Are you still doing everything yourself because you can't imagine anyone being reliable or good enough to get the job done properly?
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost opportunities, money in the bank and time off to pursue your bigger passions in life!
It's time to learn the secret to creating a seven figure freedom-based business – leverage!
You'll learn:
- A simple formula for increasing your cash flow instantly when you outsource specific tasks in a certain order (hint: it's not the tasks 90% of entrepreneurs WANT to get rid of!)
- An easy-to-follow formula that will help you determine what to delegate and what to keep so you stay focused on your genius factors.
- The three deadly mistakes entrepreneurs make when delegating and how to avoid making them.
- The million dollar question you MUST ask yourself before you hire anyone (hint: it helps you hire the right people, for the right reasons so you get the right results!)
If you are ready to banish overwhelm and discover how simple it is to accomplish massive results by leveraging other people's strengths, you need to attend this "Cafe"!
with Shawne Duperon
Six-time EMMY® Award winning media coach Shawne Duperon has taught thousands how to communicate as leaders in business.
You have seen her featured in major media including, CNN, ABC, "Inc. Magazine," and "USA Today" to name a just few.
Her personal passion is forgiveness. Her movement on global forgiveness was created through a film called Project: Forgive, now a flourishing non-profit foundation.
This PhD candidate in gossip (yes, gossip!) used gossip theory to make the film's five-minute video go viral, which now reaches millions in social media and even captured an endorsement from Archbishop Desmond and support from Kristen Bell of Frozen.
October 29
Word of Mouse! Mastering Social Media
It's a bit heartbreaking to invest your precious time and energy into your social media content and not produce results.
You write, you post, you try different things and it's just not popping. In essence, you're building it and the people just aren't coming.
Then… this non-techie presentation is for you!
This fast-paced 20-minute education is all about mastering:
- Content that is lively and persuasive
- Social media writing that is specifically valuable to YOUR audience that engages them and keeps coming back for more.
- Writing skills that use conversational TV words like "you" and "your"
- How to take appropriate risks in authenticity
- Why you share content in a "rhythm" that has your clients WANT to keep coming back
- Which stuff to avoid like jargon or marketing overkill that turns customers off
- Strategies to mix up your content so specific needs are being met by your audience
Six Time EMMY winner Shawne Duperon has built a social media following of millions through Project Forgive. She's going to share through her own trial and error, what works, what doesn't and where to take authentic social media risks to impact your brand, increase engagement and grow your business.
A Message From Your Host…
What is the Business Success Cafe?
It's a weekly gathering of small business owners from around the globe. We come together via a telephone conference (with an optional webcast) to learn first-hand from a wide variety of business growth experts.
These global experts, hand-selected for their specific expertise, are going to share with you and your peers important information and priceless tips you need to ensure your business success.If you've been thinking "I need to spend more time learning how to grow my business but I can't seem to fit it into my day" then this is the perfect solution for YOU!
The Business Success Cafe is where success-minded small business owners just like you gather to take a break from their hectic day, and all the problems du jour, to learn from business growth experts in a relaxed virtual environment.
Most importantly you don't need to carve an hour or more out of your busy schedule…each event is JUST 20 minutes!
Attend from anywhere! While you do need to bring your own coffee…there is no driving, no parking, no hassles…and no tipping the barista. Just some of the topics discussed at the Business Success Cafe:
- Say "NO" and Attract More Clients Online
- Measure What You Treasure: Train Your Brain and Get More of What You Want in Just Two Minutes a Day
- If You Chase Two Rabbits…You'll Catch Neither One: Staying Focused on Your Priorities
- Want More Money in Your Jeans? How to Shift Your Focus from Income to the Bottom Line…Profit!
- Entrepreneurial Isolation Sickness – Remedies for Those Who Work Alone
- …new topics are added weekly! Attend as many as you like.
Register Today So You Don't Miss a Single Event.
Attend As Many as You Like – For Free!


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No one is obligated to explain Romney's positions on a thread about marriage you dopey jackass. And no one cares about your simplistic opinions. There are plenty of threads for that. Or maybe you were laughed out of them?<quoted text>
good come back riccaro....
I like howe your learning to become a better debator by sticking with me.
I too was disgusted at how much support there was in the democratic party for the war vote. shame on them.
That is why I supported Obama over clinton in 08'
it is pathetic!! every election I voted in from 88' to 04, had either a bush or a clinton on the ticket......
that was another reason why barack edge clinton out, our party didnt want a modern dynasty....like yours had.
lets just say that didnt turn out to well for the republican party!
like where was poppy and dubya come convention time.?
it is a huge advantage that the democrats have now.....
bill clinton.
on Iraq??? it was a needless fabricated war that left 100000 dead.
I dont think al gore would have gone in....
you see where all that patriotic bluster went!!
80% of americans now want afghnaistan to end.
quick mission to kill wanted terrorists..... good!!
long protracted quagmire to get oil feilds???...... bad.
ryan chose war last week.
ill stick with the party and candidate that is willing to negociate.
with regards to war and foriegn policy??
I felt like the adults took back over on 1/20/09.
it used to be republicans would rescue democratic presidents from unwanted wars???
now it appears to be the opposite!!
the republicans started two wars that the democrats are now ending!!
it is about time!
ps: mabey you can explain further some of romneys positions on afghanistan and IRan......all Ive been hearing about is Libya??
Learn to spell, learn grammar, punctuation and how to construct a sentence. It won't make your stupid opinions any smarter but at least your posts will be legible and coherent.


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Scrum Methodology
Learn Scrum
The Scrum approach to agile software development marks a dramatic departure from waterfall management. Scrum and other agile methods were inspired by its shortcomings. Scrum emphasizes collaboration, functioning software, team self management, and the flexibility to adapt to emerging business realities.
Results of an Agile Assessment
Posted by admin under Agile and Scrum, Agile Assessment, Agile Principles, Scrum Basics, Scrum Discussion, Scrum Transitions
We recently set a team of consultants from my company to conduct a formal assessment of a medium sized financial firm's an Agile capabilities. I'd like to share thew approach here. The team went on site to conduct interviews and observations in 5 areas –
• Value delivery
• Agile engineering
• Project Management
• Product management
• Environment and Organizational Culture
Also, the investigation took input on the demographics of the individual project being examined, the stakeholders involved and the competitive/regulatory environment in which the organization as a whole operates. Understanding the context in which an organization operates is crucial to understanding the optimal level of Agility, and thus, the plan of action.
Understanding the goals of the organization is particularly important. Not every axis needs to be top-ranked to achieve the company's goals. In fact, on this particular assessment we found that only one needed urgent attention – Project Management. I'll provide details in another post.Tags: agile, Agile assessment, Agile Conference 2008, Scrum Basics, Scrum Methodology
Scrum Training Series
Recent Posts
- Scrum based funding model – 20 percent May 9, 2013
- The Next Big Idea March 5, 2013
- On Being Available February 17, 2013
- Should Scrum Always Require the Product Owner to Attend the Sprint Retrospective Meeting? February 5, 2013
- Happiness Metrics January 23, 2013


text:
STFU and Just Blog Video Games
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World...
Transformers Devastation
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Activity Feed
2013 D.I.C.E. Summit
Jesse Schell: Marketing BS and good games won't be enough
D.I.C.E. keynote 'The Secret Mechanisms'
Feb 08
// Jordan Devore
Dale has been at the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit all week and left express instructions to pass along Schell Games CEO Jesse Schell's keynote speech to you kind folks. Having now watching it myself, I have to agree -- it's an enter...
Rockman Xover PVP
Rockman Xover brings PVP back to the Mega Man universe
We're still not getting it
Feb 06
// Chris Carter
Recently, we found out that there are "no plans" to bring Rockman Xover, Capcom's newest Mega Man mobile game, overseas. But that doesn't stop them from continuing to support it, and today, we have some interesting news that ...
Thank Jeebus! Rockman Xover localization on hold
Jan 29
// Tony Ponce
Capcom actually made a smart decision
[Header by samusmmx] Oh, Rockman Xover. What a foul, foul beast you are. I know it's not kosher to slam a game without having played it yourself, but just from watching gameplay videos, I think we can all agree that Xover is ...
Rockman Xover
Rockman Xover keeps on chugging with Star Force content
No domestic release date still
Jan 24
// Chris Carter
You know what they say about cash-ins, right? If people buy them, they'll keep cashing in? Ok nobody says that, I just made it up. But that seems to be the case for the infamous Rockman Xover, because Capcom keeps supporting ...
Did you start your morning with PS Vita's Wake-up Club?
Never hit snooze again!
Jan 16
// Kyle MacGregor
Let's face it: waking up in the morning sucks, but Sony has a new game of sorts to make that harsh reality a little more tolerable. Wake-up Club is essentially an alarm clock with social game elements for your PlayS...
Zynga cuts costs by shutting down 11 games
Some would call it karma
Dec 31
// Chris Carter
Zynga CEO Mark Pincus has just announced that 11 games will be either axed entirely, or stop accepting newcomers to cut costs. It seems as if assets will be funneled into their more popular ventures, and new ones as well. Yep...
Jimquisition: Friends
Jimquisition happens every Monday!
Nov 26
// Jim Sterling
Friendships are precious things that allow us to get through this horrific maelstrom we bitterly call life. Without friends, we would be but animals, hurtling cluelessly from one compulsive murder to the next. Nobody is an i...
OpenFeint shuts down on December 14
GREE pulls the plug
Nov 19
// Dale North
While it probably won't change the day of any gamers out there, you should still know that GREE, OpenFeint's parent company, plans to shut down the OpenFeint mobile social connection service on December 14. Many of mobile gam...
Zynga lays off five percent of its full-time employees
Oct 23
// Jordan Devore
Boston studio shut down, others face closure
There were a number of layoffs at Zynga today, as you might have heard from employees who were affected and quickly spread the word. An internal note from CEO Mark Pincus confirms much of what's been said about the significan...
Study finds that 85% quit social games after one day
I quit after 5 minutes!
Oct 18
// Dale North
I just learned the term churn from our recent article on social game makers and how they track players. The term came up again today in a Gamasutra article on a new report from social game analysis firm Playnomics. This firm ...
Rockman Xover fan-made demo, plus actual game details
Might as well sit back and see how this train wreck pans out
Oct 14
// Tony Ponce
Capcom insists on seeing this construct through to the end, so I might as well keep abreast of the latest news and developments. First up is this fan-made Rockman Xover Flash demo that recreates the TGS build Conrad played. I...
We have a file on you: The tools & tricks of social games
Oct 13
// Allistair Pinsof
Amazon.com used to be some site that you bought books at but then analytics happened. In the late 1990s, Brian Lent helped lead the Information Technology team that would create Amazon's recommendation system. The system that would rewrite how the expanding online store functioned. Instead of recommending random items for sale, stores now gain data from users' searches, purchases, behavior, and any other information available to analytical software. Recommendations covered 14 percent of Amazon's revenue when Lent still worked there; now, it's as high as 40 percent of the company's earnings. The rest of the Internet would follow and, now, so are videogames. Videogame developers and publishers are now reaching out to analysts like Lent, who currently works for Medio Systems. It is one of many third-party companies that offer analytical software which does the heavy number crunching for developers. Right now, Lent is giving a speech at GDC Online, a gathering of social and mobile game developers in Austin, Texas. His audience is a group of grey-haired businessmen curious to get some of this Facebook cash they have heard so much about through the success stories of Zynga, PopCap, and Chillingo. He is now covering stage three of how to make a successful social game: monetization. "This stage is really about optimizing the next best offer," Lent says. "If you have another thing to show the user, what is the best thing (analytically-speaking) they are most likely to purchase next?" "Metrics" is a word commonly used among social game developers that didn't exist in the industry until analysts like Lent arrived. You hear people say it a lot at a trade show like GDC Online. Sometimes in a knowing way, and sometimes with the excited gleam of dollar signs lighting up the eyes. In 2009, social games made $4 billion a year. According to Lent's research, the market will reach $30 billion in yearly revenue with downloads rising to 21.7 billion -- over five times what they were three years ago. The market is growing and it's attracting developers like Zynga that are well-versed in the visual design and analytical tricks that have made successful websites tick. Now, they are applying the same tactics to videogames. Once users are acquired, a social game must engage them. Since not all social games are fun enough to play on their own merit, developers hook players with a carrot on a stick. Analytical tools tell designers when an offer should be made to what player. For example, a whale may be planning to go back to reality and abandon their home in DragonVale. This is when a developers must "figure out how to cross-promote and move people." "Collect all the data you can!" exclaims Lent. "Location, time of day, offers shown that they didn't respond to, offers shown that they did respond to, friends they invited into game ... all that data is extremely, extremely valuable. No matter how you work, make sure you are collecting all the data you can. That data is a gold mine." Once a user is placed into a "clustomer" (a cluster of customers -- yes, they really do use this term), analytical tools evaluate what should be offered and how the offer should be presented. For example, the software knows Melissa is a whale because the data tells the system that whales are likely to use iPhones, reach level 12 in the game, live in Germany, and purchase the golden sword. All of these traits fit Melissa, so she must be a whale. "Have your product guys look into the purchase path for the golden sword, since that unlocks the game experience and leads them to buy more things," Lent says. This analytical software has increased developers revenue by five times, according to Lent. Not only does the software tell developers the nature of a user, it can even decide whether something should be promoted as "best price," "hot price," "NEW!" or "50% off" even though these are the same exact offer. However, some aspects of targeting social players will always be in the designers' hands. Emmanuel Valdez has nearly twenty years of experience in designing videogames, and he comes to GDC Online to discuss how visual design can help drive sales in social games. Since most social games are free-to-play, they depend on real-money transactions in a marketplace. Depending on the game, these marketplace items may alter the way a player's avatar looks or how the game is played, often making it easier on the player. Then, the worst offender: there are energy systems that lock a person out from playing the game until they are let back in via a timer -- unless they pay up. "It's not the art; it's not the budget; it's the design that makes great games," states Valdez. Valdez pulls many time-tested design principles from across time and cultures and applies them to games. For example, colors can reinforce what a person should look at. Game designers often color a group of icons to imply they are of a similar nature, but Valdez presents an example where a social game greys out all buttons except the marketplace. This button, and only this button, is glorious, bright, and shiny. How can you not click on it? Why would anyone resist? "Design for free-to-play games changes how we see design because they are all about getting people to spend money, most of the time," continues Valdez. Have you ever noticed that many social games apply baby face features to game characters? They often have big round eyes, small noses, and heads larger than the rest of their bodies. Valdez says developer's do this because it makes players more sympathetic. Research shows that they are more likely to pay to level them up. Developers want you to fall in love with their characters and then pay for that love. Placement is another key design aspect of social games. Leading players' eyes to the marketplace and the most expensive items is a primary goal for many developers and it's a task that has to be dealt with subtlety. Valdez says that placing the most expensive items first in a store will make them more likely to be sold, since these items will linger in the mind of players after exiting. Another principle is the Gutenberg Diagram which shows that player's eyes are drawn from the top-left to the bottom-right of the screen, so of course you are going to place your store icon there! "A lot of people from Zynga come from the web and that industry has been doing this a lot longer than we have. These principle are second nature to them," Valdez explains. "That's where we need to get." But where is this place and what kind of place will it be? One where each user is studied by systems, manipulated by artists, and led with a carrot on a stick? Many European countries, such as England and Germany, forbid the kind of data collection these analysts provide for a good reason. That reason is that customers should be served a quality product, not serving developers' research and data mining. Nevertheless, companies like Medio Systems work within a loophole that strips individuals' data and places it into a group ("clustomers"). No one is that unique, after all. This keeps personal data one step removed and the data mining within legal bounds. Even great game developers analyze test groups, use design principles to guide players, and give players incentive to keep playing. The difference is that developers like Activision Blizzard make a game first and tune it around these tools and tricks, not the other way around. The more I learn about how social games are made and the people that work on them, the more I am fascinated by this new industry and the more I want to stay the hell away from it as a gamer. I'm not a whale. If Zynga has a file on me, I kindly ask for it back.
This is what social game developers say about you, behind your back
Meet Melissa. She's a forty-year-old mom who has recently become hooked on DragonVale, a free-to-play iOS game. She is what social game analysts call a whale. No, this isn't a comment on her physical stature or deep, raspy...
TGS: Yep, the Rockman Xover trailer is really something
Sep 19
// Tony Ponce
I don't have to repeat myself, do I? You already know how I feel about Rockman Xover, so let's skip that dance and move on to analyzing the trailer above. Hmmm... a minute-long trailer with all of four seconds of in-game foo...
Rockman Xover will be at TGS, protagonist has stupid name
Capcom is sooooo good to us
Sep 06
// Tony Ponce
Since Capcom has decided that a Western release of Rockman Xover is crucial, I feel duty-bound to deliver the latest details so that you may prepare yourself against thine enemy. As mentioned previously, Xover is a social RPG...
Zynga apes Pokemon with suspiciously similar Montopia
Gotta copy 'em all!
Aug 30
// Jim Sterling
Oh Zynga, will you ever learn? Despite being embroiled in a lawsuit against fellow evildoer Electronic Arts, those wacky rouges at Zynga are hard at work with another "inspired" game -- Montopia. Montopia casts you in ...
No More Heroes gets a free-to-play social mobile game
World Ranker comes to Android and iOS
Aug 30
// Jim Sterling
No More Heroes returns to your life as a free-to-play social mobile game. Something tells me that the unique blend of F2P, social gaming, and the mobile market isn't having NMH lovers jumping for joy. In fact it seems perfect...
EA vs. Zynga: EA claims it's a game industry defender!
Aug 21
// Jim Sterling
Electronic Arts' delusions of grandeur have reached new heights this week, as the company continues to milk its lawsuit against Zynga for cheap applause and gamer cred. Its latest claim? The lawsuit positions Electronic Arts ...
Rockman Xover is your new Mega Man game... for iOS
Aug 16
// Tony Ponce
That's just great. Relegate the once lofty Mega Man empire to the mobile realm for its 25-year celebration. I don't give two shits about how "valid" the iPhone is as a gaming device; the truth is that many companies still treat the platform as a dumping ground, Capcom included. From the available screens, it looks to be running on the same engine, sporting the same art style, as the infuriating Mega Man X iOS port. Considering what a disappointing turd that was, I have zero hopes for Xover. And check it -- notice the autoplay button? It's gonna be one of those RPGs, in which you can let the computer to do the grunt work while you touch yourself to farm porn videos or something. Are you kidding me? This is our 25th anniversary game? There better be something else in the pipeline, because this doesn't cut the mustard. I swear to baby Jesus, it's like Capcom wants people to hate Mega Man. Rockman Xover is looking at an autumn release in Japan, yet I'm certain it'll make it Stateside soon afterwards. Obviously, this is what we've all been waiting for. Here you go, fellas! No grand series revival or compilation discs, a la Kirby's Dream Collection or even the Classic and X collections on the PS2, GC, and Xbox! Nope! Have some iPhone garbage and say it tastes like Grey Poupon! Fucking ass. Rockman Xover Announced, Social RPG for iOS [Protodude's Rockman Corner]
Guys, I owe you an apology. The other day, I wrote about a fan-driven Mega Man Legends concept album, and I begged you all to stay on topic and not go off on a tangent about how you felt Capcom wronged you. I apologize becaus...
Japanese social games funded by Yakuza, says expert
Jul 12
// Allistair Pinsof
Yakuza, Japan's mafia, has a long history with games: card games, Pachinko machines, and now social gaming. Some of Japan's current social games, including one about Yakuza, are funded by Japan's mafia, according to Tokyo Vic...
Square Enix: Long console generation a 'big mistake'
Jul 10
// Jim Sterling
Square Enix's worldwide technology director, Julien Merceron, has accused Sony and Microsoft of making a "big mistake" by prolonging this console generation, claiming that iOS and browser games have flourished as a direc...
Twitter or Facebook won't be supported in Wii U Miiverse
Jun 21
// Chris Carter
When asked about the Wii U's possible integration of Facebook and Twitter, Nintendo of Europe's Laurent Fischer was pretty upfront in denying the capability: "I have three devices permanently doing that already, what is our b...
E3: More details on EA's SimCity Social
Jun 04
// Victoria Medina
As reported earlier, EA has brought out the white glove on Zynga with SimCity Social for Facebook. This isn't just a rehash of any well-known farming games, though. Players will get to watch their cities evolve based on ...
E3: FIFA is 'football's social network'
Jun 04
// Alasdair Duncan
EA has announced a wealth of new features for the upcoming FIFA 13, both in the gameplay and EA's football-centered social network, Football Club. Gamers who progressed through FIFA 12 will have their stats and progress carry...
E3: EA bitchslaps Zynga with SimCity Social
Jun 04
// Jim Sterling
EA is preparing to invade Facebook, and it has Zynga in its sights. What is it about EA and its obsession with picking fights via passive-aggressive game slogans? In any case, SimCity Social is a city-building game for your F...
The Sims Social promises to be a good woman if you return
May 30
// Samit Sarkar
Numerous online games send messages to lapsed users in an attempt to get those players to come back. Sometimes, they try to guilt you into going back; other times, they look to entice you into returning by offering free goodi...
The Japanese government squashes social gaming's dreams
May 10
// Hiroko Yamamura
Usually I have the pleasure of reporting the latest fun and silly stuff coming from my homeland of Japan to our readers. Today I get to tell you about something so ridiculously dumb my head is actually hurting. ...
Ex-EA man says traditional consoles are under pressure
May 04
// Jim Sterling
Former Electronic Arts and Xbox Live bigwig John Schappert has joined the growing band of rebels who believe traditional console gaming is in a risky position. With social and mobile games encroaching on their territory, Scha...
Swordfight will get your joystick hard
Apr 29
// Tony Ponce
I stand corrected. This is the weirdest story of the weekend! If you read Joseph Leray's "Nordic New Wave" feature from the other week, you ought to be familiar with Johann Sebastian Joust, a game using accelerometer-powered ...
Nordic New Wave: Technology and the new social game
Apr 19
// Joseph Leray
[embed]226044:43438[/embed] In addition to studying interaction design as a Ph.D. candidate at the IT University of Copenhagen, Wilson co-owns the game studio Die Gute Fabrik and is the lead designer of Johann Sebastian Joust, which has been popping up in bars, arcades, and conventions since its birth at the 2011 Nordic Game Jam. J. S. Joust is a bare-bones, slow-motion game played with some sort of accelerometer controller -- it's usually played with a PlayStation Move wand, but was developed using a Wii Remote. A Mac client with Wilson's UniMove plugin plays a selection from Bach's Brandenburg concertos while the game monitors the controllers' movement. During the slow stanzas, each player's movement window is restricted -- if your controller shakes too much, you lose. In the faster stanzas, that window opens a bit wider, giving players a chance to knock, shove, or jostle their opponents out of the game. Hence, jousting. There is no screen. "Moving in slow motion, no matter what you're playing, is f*cking sweet," Wilson said during his Independent Games Summit presentation at this year's Game Developers Conference. "That really is the inspiration behind Joust. 'Let's make a game where we just f*cking move in slow motion.'" The real trick to Joust, though, is that it changes players' relationship with the technology behind it. The truth of the matter is that accelerometers have limited use in traditional gaming -- they lag or they're imprecise. "Despite all these promises and optimism, all of these technologies kind of sucking is the reality," he continued. "To me, that's awesome. It's precisely because these technologies suck that makes them really interesting and fun. Part of the key is to embrace the set of technological limitations rather than trying to fight them." Joust embraces the accelerometer's clunkiness and makes it a central mechanic -- not knowing exactly how much the Move can shake at a given moment adds tension and excitement -- rather than trying to compensate for it. The mechanics and the technology work perfectly together because the mechanics are the technology. It only works with accelerometer-based controls and a large group of people. The same thing that gives PlayStation and Wii developers fits is making Joust a huge success on the indie games circuit. [embed]226044:43437[/embed] Wilson's brand of do-it-yourself tinkering isn't limited to his own ideas, though -- he recently reconfigured Foddy's GIRP, a physics-based rock-climbing game, using four stitched-together Dance Dance Revolution pads. "It was actually originally an unauthorized project," says Foddy. The Copenhagen Game Collective, a group of Danish artists, academics, and game developers co-founded by Wilson, was partying on a boat when MegaGIRP was born. Foddy continues, "[Doug] hacked together a keyboard controller out of four DDR dance mats, so you could play it in front of a crowd, with the game projected on a screen. They told me about the idea on Twitter while they were working on it." The original GIRP assigns different letters to golden rings set into a rock face. When a letter is pressed on the keyboard, the nameless free climber grabs the ring and hoists himself up. The goal is to get as high as possible before the rising tide swallows you up. Like in Johann Sebastian Joust, there's an interplay between the technology and the mechanics of the game. "There is an important correspondence between the virtual cliff face and the flat control mat in MegaGIRP," Foddy explains. "But the real 1:1 correspondence comes from the use of your physical body rather than the technology." Playing MegaGIRP is a full-body experience, the dance pad having replaced the keyboard. "The reason nobody has made it more than halfway up the cliff so far is not that GIRP gets a lot harder as you progress," says Foddy. "It's that in MegaGIRP, you get too tired to go any further." Using the dance pad instead of the keyboard may have pushed MegaGIRP closer to "real" rock climbing, but it also invites other social possibilities -- it seems a little awkward to play, like Twister but more difficult. "I think it's crucial that you look a bit silly playing it, and you're constantly at risk of falling over," says Foddy. "That creates a sense of excitement for the onlookers. Also, the crowd tends to participate, yelling out advice or warnings." Given that it takes a large screen and projector to work, and that it's designed so that players can't always see the the action, it's virtually impossible to play MegaGIRP by yourself -- it requires at least one other person in the room with you but is at its best with a group of friends. If both Johann Sebastian Joust and MegaGIRP seem tailor-made for large events, it's because a growing number of independent games festivals and art collectives have been sprouting up like weeds. These are organized staging grounds for the types of physical experiences described by so-called "folk games," an expression Wilson used in his GDC presentation to describe his projects. "The Kokoromi and Babycastles events have been running for a while, but there's also Wild Rumpus in London, Juegos Rancheros in Austin, Prince of Arcade in Montreal, and a bunch of other, newer groups all around the world," Foddy tells me. "For these parties, it's all about social gaming (in the real sense, not the FarmVille sense), and so there is a call for games that can be enjoyed in a loud place by a large crowd of drunk people. "For games to work at these events, it helps if they are multiplayer games, but even the biggest multiplayer games can only be played by a subset of the people there," he continues. "So the games need to be fun to watch and big enough for a large crowd to see what's going on. And traditional videogame tech isn't really conducive to that." While many of these social games are rendered somewhat inaccessible by their size and scope, or limited to large events or one-off art installations, Doug Wilson and Bennett Foddy's approach to non-traditional tech isn't taking place in a vacuum. Wilson is determined to make Johann Sebastian Joust commercially available sometime this year, convinced that a few gyroscopes and a music API can bring friends together in a physical space in a way "social gaming" can't. Follow the conversation on Twitter at #IntelAlwaysOn.
With support from our partner, Intel, we're exploring how technology is evolving and improving the gaming experience. The company's goal is to develop tools that, in the right hands, allow us to play new and exciting games. A...
Zynga has bought OMGPop, developer of Draw Something
Mar 21
// Conrad Zimmerman
In a conference call today, social gaming megalith Zynga has announced the acquisition of OMGPop, the developer responsible for the wildly popular Draw Something for iOS devices. According to a post at the Wall Street Jo...
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Gonna have a date tonight ? Here's a song for you. [youtube]https://youtu.be/mMjgHPOJ1ys[/youtube]
[youtube]https://youtu.be/Ff1beFtxw9w[/youtube] And yes, this is video game related!
Nathan D
"Everlasting. True love. I am yours." -Rule of Rose T^T
MGO's pretty fun! I suck at it though. I mostly hang back and just mark enemies and get the occasional sniper kill. It's pretty fun to be semi-useful with a very hands off role like that. Love my avatar character guy too.
Mike Martin
Fuck Insecticons
they pooped in my food they pooped in my food they pooped in my food they pooped in my food https://youtu.be/t-mKHCMhkEU
Robo Panda Z
I have been accused of the greatest of crimes - cookie snobbery.
Rock Band 4 is really fun...takes me back to my teenage days of high school. Also reminds me of all the hours I wasted on a plastic guitar instead of getting better on a real one xD
Team Fortress 2 just got a massive community-made Invasion update. SFM short, reskins, cosmetics, and 4 brand new maps?!?! God, I love this game and its wonderful community so, so much. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yQlDnIAR14[/youtube]
Rad Party God
AARRGGGHHHH!!!, GODDAMIT!, fucking SOMA has crashed 3 fucking times in a row and I always lose ~20 minutes of playtime!, playing the same section over and over kinda ruins the tension! >.<'
N-Not that P1 isn't perfect the way she is! Isn't that right sweetie? Yes it... Oh, now don't you go and listen to those P2 fans! They just go around spreading rumors and pretending Hitler was just a handsome gentleman in sunglasses, that's what THEY do!
Persona Q has made me realize I really want a Persona 1 remake on 3DS in a similar style. A lot. A loooooooot. You listening, Atlus?
Super Mario Maker, the announcement of Sonic Lost World for Steam, and remembering all of the mods that got made for the PC version of Sonic Generations makes me wish SEGA/Sonic Team would make their own dedicated Sonic level creation game.
Hey, is your fridge running? You better catch it. I mean, it has all your food, and without food, you die. Like, forever. You don't wanna die right? If you die, how will you watch The Good wife with your favourite bowl of Ben and Jerry's ice cream? Go.
CJ Andriessen
My local Best Buy is drowning in Marth & Dark Pit amiibo
Spooky yet totally true gaming fact: the bushes and the clouds in Super Mario Bros are the same exact shape. #Spooky
Sr Churros
It is coming fast AAAAAAH http://blogs.sega.com/2015/10/06/3d-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-included-in-the-sega-3d-classics/
The newest PS4 update finally got rid of that bug where I'd get the "you can customize your power options" message every time I turned on my console!
El Dango
Should I just pass on MGSV? I haven't really liked any of the games after Snake Eater, and it's being used as a money sink at the moment.
Mike Martin
[Youtube]https://youtu.be/2ccP8sUyT4w[/youtube] All the episodes are on youtube now. Also I never knew they got to do a season 3. Pretty cool. Now back to Transformers. Scored a gc to my favorite thai place too. Pad ahoy bitches. It's been too long.
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Xan Rice
The Guardian's East Africa correspondent, Xan Rice, has won Amnesty International's Gaby Rado Memorial Award for his 'excellent' human rights reporting on the continent. In his two years reporting for the Guardian, Rice has covered a huge range of stories from the conflicts in Somalia and Darfur, to the recent post-election violence in Kenya and the growth in mobile phone use across the continent
Surrounding Nelson Mandela on his long and arduous journey was a cast of characters of all colours and motivations
Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson were arrested travelling with rebels in a case that has prompted outrage in Sweden
Marie Dedieu, who was taken from Kenyan holiday resort to Somalia, has died, French foreign ministry says
Kenyan anti-terror unit questions two UK citizens believed to be from Cardiff who tried to cross into Somalia, police say
Al-Shabab warns of 'flames of war' after Kenyan show of force follows kidnappings of tourists and aid workers
The Horn of Africa is experiencing a food crisis and the UN has declared famine in parts of Somalia. What does the relief effort look like? And what comes next?
Somalia's Islamist rebels have pulled out of Mogadishu, but they remain in control of areas worst affected by famine and drought
UN reports 'alarming' figures as fresh questions are raised about al-Shabaab rebels' responsibility for the impact of the famine
Camps and hospitals struggling to cope with outbreak as more than 180 die from diseases, wites Xan Rice in Nairobi
'Baghdad-style' car bomb attack planned in Addis Ababa, capital of neighbour and foe Ethiopia, which hosted 30 heads of state
Al-Shabab spokesman says specific agencies still 'not welcome' in drought-affected areas, and rejects UN famine claims
The summit in Rome on Monday will look at humanitarian responses to the Horn of Africa drought
Starving Somalis make the long journey on foot to refugee camps in Kenya, some of which have yet to officially open


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AROUND TOWNBay Area drove state population growth in 2012
The Bay Area led the charge in California's massive population increase last year, particularly Santa Clara County, which...Original post made on May. 2, 2013
Last comment by OMV Resident, on May 3, 2013 at 3:30 pm | 6 comments | 3909 Views
AROUND TOWNWeekend, May 4 & 5
[http://www.miramarevents.com/alacarte/ ==B Event:== A la Carte & Art] A la Carte & Art, the lively annual street fair,...Original post made on May. 3, 2013
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AROUND TOWNFriday, May 3
[http://events.stanford.edu/events/377/37723/ ==B Art:== 'Art of Protest'] A new exhibit documenting the history of the...Original post made on May. 3, 2013
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SCHOOLS & KIDSYoung Children's Spring Faire - Saturday
Come celebrate spring and experience Waldorf education for the young child (nursery and kindergarten ages). Featuring: Crafts Petting...Original post made by Waldorf School of the Peninsula on May. 3, 2013
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OTHER ISSUESHistoric Pearson house demolished
After years of abandonment and several attempts to save it, the 130-year-old home of early Mountain View businessman Charles...Original post made on May. 3, 2013
Last comment by wendyleela, on May 3, 2013 at 12:58 am | 1 comment | 2020 Views
OTHER ISSUESMay Day march for immigration reform
As supporters of immigration reform prepared to march from Rengstorff Park to Mountain View City Hall on May 1 -- a day that...Original post made on Apr. 30, 2013
Last comment by Wo\'O Ideafarm, on May 2, 2013 at 7:36 pm | 16 comments | 1951 Views
AROUND TOWNWoman robbed at Shoreline
A woman was robbed at a country music concert at Mountain View's Shoreline Amphitheatre on April 26, according to police. Read...Original post made on May. 1, 2013
Last comment by aragon, on May 2, 2013 at 4:28 pm | 8 comments | 1385 Views
AROUND TOWNFree Concert Thu, May 2 - Mark Russo and The Classy Cats
Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) presents Mark Russo and the Classy Cats - Swing, Latin & Brazilian Stylings TONIGHT,...Original post made by csma on May. 2, 2013
There are no comments yet. 1111 Views
SCHOOLS & KIDSMVHS launches first-ever 'STEM Day'
Taking cues from Los Altos High School, which annually holds a Science and Technology Week, Mountain View High School has...Original post made on Apr. 29, 2013
Last comment by Trent, on May 2, 2013 at 8:50 am | 7 comments | 1827 Views
AROUND TOWNVoice wins award for environmental coverage
The Mountain View Voice won recognition for its coverage of environmental issues, taking home a first place award in a statewide...Original post made on Apr. 29, 2013
Last comment by jane, on May 1, 2013 at 5:28 pm | 6 comments | 1269 Views
SCHOOLS & KIDSGraham wins Distinguished School award
Graham Middle School has been named a California Distinguished School — an honorary title given by state education...Original post made on May. 1, 2013
Last comment by Interested Observer , on May 1, 2013 at 5:02 pm | 1 comment | 2443 Views
AROUND TOWNPoppy project seeks to bring native blooms to hills
The many species of non-native European weeds, which cover the California's hills, keep its native flora at bay and increase...Original post made on May. 1, 2013
Last comment by volunteer, on May 1, 2013 at 3:16 pm | 2 comments | 3312 Views
AROUND TOWNiPads, laptops taken in apartment burglary
Electronics and cash were stolen from a Mountain View apartment during the day on April 25, police said. Read the full story...Original post made on Apr. 27, 2013
Last comment by D, on May 1, 2013 at 2:34 pm | 2 comments | 1219 Views
AROUND TOWNGoogle offers to fund city's bike projects
Mountain View city officials are in talks with Google about using some of the internet giant's billions to help make its...Original post made on Apr. 26, 2013
Last comment by eric, on May 1, 2013 at 2:11 pm | 31 comments | 4421 Views
AROUND TOWNWednesday, May 1
[http://events.stanford.edu/events/335/33565/ ==B Poetry:== Anne Carson] Visiting poet Anne Carson, who is on campus at...Original post made on May. 1, 2013
Last comment by randy albin, on May 1, 2013 at 11:03 am | 1 comment | 1135 Views
SCHOOLS & KIDSMV Whisman looking forward
The superintendent of the Mountain View Whisman School District wants students to put down their textbooks, pick up tablet...Original post made on Apr. 30, 2013
Last comment by Nicole, on May 1, 2013 at 9:53 am | 4 comments | 1933 Views
AROUND TOWNiPad, jewelry taken in burglary
A home in the 1000 block of Madison Drive was burglarized on April 26, police said. The bedroom ransacked and an iPad and...Original post made on May. 1, 2013
Last comment by detroit, on May 1, 2013 at 9:15 am | 1 comment | 1153 Views
OTHER ISSUESRecord temperatures expected in Bay Area this week
Record-breaking temperatures are expected to roast the Bay Area this week, a National Weather Service spokesman said. Read...Original post made on Apr. 30, 2013
Last comment by tommygee54, on Apr 30, 2013 at 7:08 pm | 2 comments | 1348 Views
SCHOOLS & KIDS'Every 15 Minutes'
A group of about 30 students, teachers and emergency responsers worked together to organize "Every 15 Minutes" at Mountain...Original post made on Apr. 19, 2013
Last comment by Wo\'O Ideafarm, on Apr 30, 2013 at 4:02 pm | 14 comments | 18062 Views
AROUND TOWNHuff student a whiz at math
Huff Elementary School student Nitin Kumar claimed a trophy, $750 in cash and other prizes for his strong showing in the...Original post made on Nov. 5, 2012
Last comment by Nitin, on Apr 30, 2013 at 12:59 pm | 3 comments | 2061 Views
Fee Waivers
By John Raftrey and Lori McCormick | 2 comments | 1,218 views
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 664 views


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Exercise brings the whole body to life--your heart begins to race, your muscles begin to contract, and your brain begins to split into three exobrains. Nothing will ever be the same after you use this Groupon.
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- $25 for two consecutive weeks of boot-camp classes (a $187 value)
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Though this merchant sometimes offers a discounted price online, this Groupon is still the best deal available.
Get In Shape Challenge Boot Camp
An expert motivator and personal trainer, Robyne leads small groups through rigorous boot-camp-style classes offered 40 times a week. She mixes up each workout to keep students engaged, utilizing boxing techniques, resistance training, or calisthenics. Her classes are both outdoor and indoor and members can also take Sunset Yoga classes every week.
74% of 19 customers recommend
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"I am glad I signed up for the bootcamp; Robyn is a fitness champ and shares simple, basic yet highly effective movements that will make your muscles remind you of her the next day. After attending the orientation, Robyn followed up with a phone call asking on my preferences .. have no other bootcamp trainer take that personal interest. She is friendly, gets you started easy and then the sweat starts dripping. I, personally highly recommend this bootcamp if you are serious about getting a kick start to your regime injury-free."
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574 St. Peters Howell
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+16365789449Get Directions


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No Deal on Debt Ceiling May Mean Higher Mortgage, Loan Rates
Rates on mortgages, car loans and certain types of student loans could rise if the White House and Congress don't come to an agreement on raising the government's debt limit.
"The significance of averting a default cannot be overstated," said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com. "Our livelihoods, our financial security is at stake in this game of debt ceiling chicken."
McBride said if investors believe the U.S. is at risk of defaulting on some of its payments, they'll demand higher interest rates on Treasury bonds, and that would have a ripple effect on other interest rates — including those at which consumers, small businesses and large corporations borrow money.
Interest rates on credit cards wouldn't necessarily rise, McBride said, but card issuers would more likely freeze or slash consumers' lines of credit if political stalemate continues through August 2, a date set by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
The U.S. government already hit its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling on May 16. The federal government is now tapping federal employees pension funds for loans.


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All Android applications categories
All Android games categories
by: Jozsef Csiza Apps | 75
Earthquake alert is an alert application which detects earthquake via the device's accelerometer.
In the settings of the app you can set the sensor's sensitivity. If you set it to high it will detect the smallest quakes too.
To activate the alarm just tap the Activate alarm icon and set a countdown time. When the countdown is up the application will activate the sensor to detect the quakes.
To deactivate the alarm just tap the Deactivate alarm icon.
from 75 reviews


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Select Local Merchants
Mayfield Bakery and CafeRead MoreMayfield Bakery & Cafe: A User's Guide American Cuisine | Freshly Baked Goods | Seasonal, Sustainable Ingredients | 100+ Wines By the Bottle Sample Menu Starter: spiced heirloom-pumpkin soup Entree: almond wood-grilled steak with grilled chicories and red-wine soubise Dessert: caramel-apple bread pudding with salted-caramel sauce and whipped cream From the bakery: chocolate-peanut-butter bar with dark-chocolate ganache, milk-chocolate peanut-butter ganache, and a chunky peanut-butter cream Café v. Bakery? Though the bakery supplies the café with its baked goods and desserts, the two are separate entities. The café is a place to enjoy a meal, whereas the bakery is ideal for walk-in orders or grabbing coffee on the way to work. For the Bread Connoisseur: Mayfield's slow-proofed loaves rest for up to 24 hours, expanding the yeast to produce a darker crust and denser texture. The bakers typically produce 8–10 types of these breads daily. Inside Tips: After you order in the café, pass the time doodling on brown butcher paper placed atop the tablecloth. If you dine in the café later in the evening, you may be rewarded with free loaves of bread as the bakery closes up shop. Vocab Lesson Chicory: this plant's spicy, bitter leaves are often used in salads, while its ground-up roots make a flavorful coffee substitute or additive. Wheat berry: a full, hulled wheat grain that's reddish-brown in color and cooked in a fashion similar to rice or pasta for use in salads and side dishes If You Can't Make It, Try This: Mayfield belongs to the same restaurant group as upscale American eatery The Village Pub (2967 Woodside Road, Woodside) and Californian-inspired spot Spruce (3640 Sacramento Street, San Francisco).855 El Camino RealPalo Alto, CA US
Sprinkles CupcakesRead MoreSprinkles Cupcakes Cakes were bigger in 2005—most of them, anyway. While a couple of bakeries had become known for their cupcakes, none of them built their entire business around the petite, portable, no-sharing-necessary dessert. Enter former investment banker Candace Nelson, fresh out of renown (now closed) Tante Marie's pastry school. Nelson seized the moment, spawning an empire of cupcakes in tantalizing, inventive flavors like cuban coffee and triple cinnamon. The first Sprinkles Cupcakes location measured only 600 square feet. The kitchen was even smaller, but Nelson still stocked the shelves with ingredients such as sweet cream butter, bittersweet Belgian chocolate, pure Madagascar bourbon vanilla, and fresh fruit. Eventually, her high standards got national airtime with a role as a judge on the Food Network cooking-contest show Cupcake Wars. The cupcakes are still the main draw at Sprinkles. Indeed, the demand is such that that many locations now boast a Cupcake ATM, a frosting-pink machine that cuts down lines by vending treats straight to customers on the sidewalk. But it's no longer strictly a cupcake shop. There are cookies, too, and in some cities, you can even get dense, slow-churned ice cream sandwiched between two cupcake tops or scooped into a red-velvet waffle cone. Try This: Red Velvet Cupcake Red velvet is, essentially, chocolate cake with a colorful twist. It's only natural that it should be the signature flavor at Sprinkles Cupcakes, which specializes in making classic desserts feel fresh with a subtle extra seasoning or two. In 2013, founder and head flavor honcho Candace Nelson told Vanity Fair how she arrived at her version of the quirky but very American flavor, beloved by the Oklahoma family of her husband and co-owner Charles: "I amped up the cocoa, toned down the food coloring, and created a well-balanced cream-cheese frosting." (Nelson also reported that many L.A. customers weren't familiar with the Southern delicacy: they'd call it the "red carpet" or "black velvet.") Today, her version of red velvet is so popular that it's spawned gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan versions, each using carefully chosen substitutes that retain the original's richness and silky texture so they don't have to be renamed "red burlap."393 Stanford Shopping CtrPalo Alto, CA US
Douce FranceRead MoreA tasty creperie in Palo Alto's Stanford University region, patrons of Douce France discover delicious options for a hungry stomach. The comforting sweets and decadent indulgences here really hit the spot. Watching your diet? Stay on track at Douce France, a local restaurant with gluten-free and low-fat options. Take a peek at the drink menu here, and make sure to sample something off the list. Grab the kids when you head to this bakery — its family-oriented menu and ambience are perfect for the whole clan. Take your meal to the next level on the patio at Douce France. Free wireless Internet is also available at Douce France, so bring your tablet or laptop along. You can also have Douce France cater your next event. Enjoy mind-blowing dishes in the peace and quiet of your own home with delivery or takeout from Douce France. Score free parking at the lot adjacent to Douce France. You'll also find plenty of safe spaces to lock up your bike if you prefer to cycle to the bakery. You won't find better prices in town than at Douce France, so grab all the snacks you can carry. You won't want to miss these amazing crepes at Douce France. Stop in today! When you are the market for some baked goods, swing by Douce France and pick up some. So heat things up with a trip to Douce France, and enjoy freshly-baked goods almost too hot to handle.855 El Camino RealPalo Alto, CA US
Izzy's Brooklyn BagelsRead MoreTop off your dinner with a tasty Spanish dessert at Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels in Evergreen Park. You won't find fare that's low in fat here Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels is the perfect place to indulge. Have a few picky young eaters in the family? Not a problem at Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels, where the food and ambience are perfect for family dining. Bask in the sun and enjoy a fresh meal outside at Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels. Wireless Internet access is available for no charge at Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels. Get to the restaurant early to have your pick of tables — with its no-reservation policy, the place can fill up at busy times. Casual dining at its best, Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels customers are free to enjoy themselves in jeans and a T-shirt. Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels offers convenient carryout and delivery, so diners aren't limited to the restaurant space. Bring the Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels' great food to your place. Save time and money on parking when you take advantage of the open lot next door. You can load up on the snacks and treats at Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels since prices are so low.477 California AvenuePalo Alto, CA US
Cafe EpiRead MoreStop by Cafe Epi in Palo Alto for flavorful fare and refreshments. Cafe Epi features a wide variety of flavorful low-fat and gluten-free eats. Beer, wine, and more are also available from Cafe Epi's extensive drink list. Bring the whole clan to Cafe Epi — kids and parents will love the menu and ambience here. On warmer days, take advantage of Cafe Epi's outdoor seating. Get online gratis thanks to Cafe Epi's complimentary wifi. You can't reserve a table at Cafe Epi, so be sure to show up early. Formal attire is required so that you can look as nice as your meal does. Catering makes it easier to organize any event, and Cafe Epi will ensure that it is delicious. You can also grab your grub to go. At Cafe Epi, you can count on quick and easy street parking close by. Cafe Epi offers various parking options, including bike parking. It will typically cost you about $30 to enjoy a meal at Cafe Epi. Morning, noon, or night, you can head on over to Cafe Epi since they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.405 University AvePalo Alto, CA US
La BaguetteRead MoreOne of the top-rated bakeries in Palo Alto, La Baguette delivers a familiar vibe with an inspired menu that features desserts. It's an ideal choice for those that want delicious food. There's no specific recommended attire, so feel free to dress casually and comfortably. When you get there, you've got to try the tarts, the croissant, or the ham and cheese, as all three are fantastic. In terms of the restaurant itself, it's been tabbed as a good option for families with children. WiFi's available if you're trying to get some work done, and in addition to its convenient take-out menu, the restaurant even provides catering for events around town. Specializing in brunch, La Baguette is a great choice when you're in the mood for unique international cuisine, and want to break away from the typical Chinese/Mexican/Italian fare. Visitors to the restaurant have access to a private lot and a parking garage nearby. Would you rather ride there? Bike parking is also provided.170 Stanford Shopping CtrPalo Alto, CA US